Republicans

Florida Politics reports: The Senate will not consider a controversial defamation bill. For the second year in a row, the bill effectively hit a wall in the upper chamber despite signs of life in the House. With fewer than two weeks left in the Legislative Session, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo’s Office signaled there is no appetite for the bill. “No. …

Houston’s ABC affiliate reports: For some children in the U.S., school lunchtime might be the only meal they eat all day. To help combat this issue, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering its first-ever free summer school lunch program for participants across the country. This year, 35 states are joining the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program – but …

Courthouse News reports: The FBI informant indicted on charges of giving the bureau false information about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter which was subsequently used by Republican lawmakers and pundits to try to discredit the administration lost his bid to stay out of jail. U.S. District Judge Otis Wright II, at a hearing Monday morning in downtown Los …

The New York Times reports: The Supreme Court seemed troubled on Monday by a Florida law that prohibits social media companies from disfavoring conservative speakers, at least to the extent that it bars major platforms like Facebook and YouTube from making editorial judgments. But several justices indicated that the sprawling law may be constitutional as applied to other sites like …

CBS News reports: President Biden is set to meet with congressional leaders at the White House on Tuesday, as lawmakers squabble over a path forward while a deadline to fund the government looms large at week’s end. Congress has just a handful of days to approve the first four appropriations bills to prevent a partial shutdown after March 1. The …

USA Today reports: Two more Florida children have contracted measles after the state’s top health official defied federal guidance to contain an outbreak at an elementary school. Six children at Manatee Bay Elementary School, in Westin near Fort Lauderdale, caught the disease over a week ago. New state health data show two more cases in Broward County, of a child …

“NBC’s claim that there was a Nazi presence at CPAC 2024 is false, misleading, and grossly manipulative—especially coming from a writer who has carried the water for Hamas in much of his reporting on the Israel-Gaza war. “CPAC has made it absolutely clear that we stand with Israel and the Jewish people…and against the hatred of Jews. Our board and …

Vox reports: In mid-2021, about a year before he began his longstanding feud with the biggest employer in his state, Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation attempting to seize control of content moderation at major social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter (now called X by Elon Musk). A few months later, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, also …

CNN reports: GOP Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, is endorsing former President Donald Trump as the party’s nominee, his office confirmed to CNN. The backing from the South Dakota Republican, who has been critical of Trump, is the latest indication of the former president’s grip on the party as he barrels toward the nomination. It’s …

The Washington Post reports: Americans for Prosperity, the organization backed by conservative billionaire Charles Koch, will stop its spending in support of Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign, officials with the group said Sunday. The organization — the Koch network’s flagship political group that set out last year to put its weight behind a Donald Trump opponent in 2024 — announced the …

NBC News reports: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is calling on “licensed professionals” and “members of the general public” to report the parents of transgender minors to state authorities if it appears the minors are receiving gender-affirming medical care. The directive was part of a letter Abbott, a Republican, sent Tuesday to the Department of Family and Protective Services, calling on …

The New York Times reports: The chairwoman of the Republican National Committee said on Monday that she would step down in just over a week, as former President Donald J. Trump seeks to install a new handpicked leader for the national party ahead of the general election this fall. The decision is not a surprise. The chairwoman, Ronna McDaniel, told …

NBC News reports: Steve Kramer, a veteran political consultant working for a rival candidate, acknowledged Sunday that he commissioned the robocall impersonating President Joe Biden with artificial intelligence, confirming an NBC News report that he was behind the call. Kramer expressed no remorse for creating the deepfake, in which an imitation of the president’s voice discouraged participation in New Hampshire’s …

The New York Times reports: Justice Clarence Thomas recently hired a law clerk who was previously accused of sending racist text messages, resurfacing the controversy around her. Crystal Clanton will begin clerking for the justice in the upcoming term, according to the Antonin Scalia Law School, from which she graduated in 2022. In late 2017, a New Yorker story reported …

“Why has Henry Barbour, Republicans National Committeeman from Mississippi, become an ally of Joe Biden. Barbour’s two proposed RNC resolutions defy reality and only help President Biden. “It is ironic that Barbour would propose these anti-Trump resolutions as President Trump wins his fifth straight contrast (?) and is declared the winner in Nikki Haley’s home state one minute after the …

Charlotte’s CBS affiliate reports: A Union County pastor is under fire after a clip of his sermon went viral online, in which he blames rape victims for their attire. Pastor Bobby Leonard of Bible Baptist Tabernacle can be heard saying that he wouldn’t convict a rapist if the victim was wearing shorts. The clip, which has been viewed millions of …

“This has been a project to essentially give Americans another choice if they’re unhappy with the presumptive nominees. Which, you know, it appears it’s going to be Trump vs. Biden right now, but we don’t know. “Nikki Haley, she’s remaining in the race. You can’t count her out completely. And hats off to her for staying in and for sticking …

Axios reports: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) was booed during former President Trump’s remarks Saturday following his projected South Carolina primary victory. It’s not the first time the South Carolina senator, who has relatively low approval ratings in his state, has faced an unfriendly Trump crowd, particularly in his home state. Graham was met with boos from the crowd while appearing …

The New York Times reports: Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota and the entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy tied for the top choice to be former President Donald J. Trump’s running mate in a straw poll on Saturday at a prominent gathering of conservative activists. Ms. Noem and Mr. Ramaswamy each garnered 15 percent of the vote in the straw poll. Former …

NBC News reports: Nikki Haley reiterated that she plans to continue her run for president, even after her loss to Trump in her home state. “I’m a woman of my word,” Haley said. “I’m not giving up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden.” She said that the roughly 40% of the …